A prophet has no honour in their homeland, goes the biblical adage. But of the many places that journalist, author and activist Ruth Weiss has lived – Germany (where she was born), South Africa, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Britain, Zambia and Denmark – which is her home? On 28 April, South Africa’s president will bestow an Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo on Weiss “for her contribution to the liberation struggle” and shining “the light on injustices in South Africa”.
This award – a national honour given to foreign nationals – stands out because it’s the first time she is publicly recognised in South Africa. In 2010, a German high school was named after her; in 2014, Germany decorated her with a Federal Cross of Merit; and in 2020, the Pen Center of German Speaking Writers Abroad declared her its honorary president.
